Implantação do Efficient Consumer Response (ECR): um estudo multicaso com indústrias, atacadistas e varejistas

Introduced in the 1990s, the Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) sought to fill this void by focusing on improving inter-organizational efficiency in firms. The basic outline of the ECR initiative was first presented in the United States and its diffusion to Brazil occurred in 1997, when the Brazilian ECR Association was created and began to develop many ECR projects. Although ECR been one of most important subjects discussed by the grocery industry, the lack of publications regarding its outcomes is notable. As a result, there is a need to develop new studies about the impact of ECR on the grocery supply chain. Based on these facts, the objective of this study is to discuss the concept of ECR and its development, by critically analyzing ECR implementation and discussing it perspective. The study is supported by a field research conducted with industries, wholesalers and retailers of the grocery industry channel in Brazil. This research attempted to identify which strategies, processes and technologies of ECR were been applied by these companies, the reasons of those firms adoption the ECR, the difficulties confronted in this process and the opinions of them about the ECR diffusion in Brazil. The results can provides useful insights to companies that want to implement ECR strategies or need to improve it implementation.